Ever come across an abandoned building and find yourself mesmerized? I find it difficult to take my eyes off the ruins of old structures like the red school house in Dover or the dilapidated church in Bloomfield. What is it about these buildings that we find...
**My story about the SculptFest Vermont marble exhibit was originally published in the Rutland Herald. Kate Katomski’s family heritage lives deep in the historic marble quarries of West Rutland. Both her father and grandfather worked in West Rutland back in the thriving stone industry, when Vermont marble...
On Huckle Hill in Vernon sits a lost Vermont ski area that closed 50 years ago. Pine Top ski area operated between the 1940s and 1960s with three rope tows and four trails. With a vertical drop of 400 feet, Pine Top offered terrain for novice,...
People have been asking me where I'm going for vacation this summer. Nantucket? Cape Cod? The coast of Maine? No, I don't think so. Our summer plans might be a weekend in Manchester or a day trip to Woodstock, but I doubt we'll venture east...
Scent can be such a powerful memory trigger. For me, the smell of hay instantly takes me back to childhood when I had a horse named Banjo. While recently visiting the main barn at the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, a flood of...
The Path of Life Garden in Windsor is unlike any other place I've seen in Vermont. The garden, created in 1997 by Norwich therapist Terry McDonnell, focuses on the circle of life and the decisions we make. The 14-acre meadow, set along the Connecticut River,...
We celebrated Dave's 35th birthday in Woodstock over the weekend and visited Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, a 550-acre park that opened to the public in 1998. The park is the only national park in Vermont, and it's the only national park to tell the story of...
The Vermont A&W Drive-In is the state's last surviving carhop. Located on Route 7 south of Middlebury, this 1960s roadside spot is open only during the summer months. Last weekend I stopped by the A&W and ordered a cheeseburger, fries and root beer float. I had...
Dave and I are due for another Woodstock road trip. Settled in 1768, Woodstock is repeatedly named one of the prettiest small towns in America. When you visit, you'll quickly understand why. Here you'll find historic homes and local businesses lining the streets, a covered bridge...
The sculptures at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester always make me feel a little nostalgic. During my childhood I spent many hours at the center taking summer art classes, attending performances, and strolling the grounds. A few unusual sculptures were always there in...
